Should School Holidays be Cut and School Day Made Longer?

Discussion of all things non-11 Plus related

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now
Pumpkin Pie
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 7:27 pm

Should School Holidays be Cut and School Day Made Longer?

Post by Pumpkin Pie »

Education Secretary Michael Gove believes changes should be made making the school summer holidays shorter and extending the school day to 4:30pm.

I guess it would suit working parents, but what about the teachers and pupils?
magwich2
Posts: 866
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:33 pm

Re: Should School Holidays be Cut and School Day Made Longer

Post by magwich2 »

Good Grief!!
Able children need a 2 day week to reach the required standard by 16 not more time being bored at school.
ginx
Posts: 2151
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:47 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Should School Holidays be Cut and School Day Made Longer

Post by ginx »

I love the long summer holidays.
DenDe
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 1:45 pm

Re: Should School Holidays be Cut and School Day Made Longer

Post by DenDe »

I don't suppose independent schools will be forced to cut their (long) holidays!

What would be the impact on the price of holidays taken during shortened school holiday time?
Okanagan
Posts: 1706
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Should School Holidays be Cut and School Day Made Longer

Post by Okanagan »

They're already doing something similar in the new University Technology Colleges - longer days but no homework as it's all done in the longer school day, so overall not an absolute increase.
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Should School Holidays be Cut and School Day Made Longer

Post by Amber »

Note the rhetoric used by Gove to justify this latest initiative:
The UK is losing ground against its international competitors because its children spend too little time at school..We are actually running in this global race in a way that ensures we start with a significant handicap,
This is now the driving force behind all education reform here - to 'win' a global 'race'. Policy makers now are very interested in international league tables. That the country at the top of most of them, Finland, has the lowest teaching time of any country in the world, will not be mentioned, because, as a respected professor points out: British governments voice admiration for high-performing Finland but then, finding Finnish education policies politically unpalatable..*.they look elsewhere where the messages 'fit' politically - in this case the Far East. That these countries are rooted in a history of Confucian values underpinning their very traditional schooling style will not be mentioned either, because that won't help the 'quick fix' politics so appealing to ministers.

Either way, do not be fooled into thinking this has anything at all to do with the welfare of children, who already attend school for more years and longer hours than anyone else in the world; nor indeed with the needs of working parents, or teachers. It is nasty but very clever rhetoric aimed at justifying a worsening of conditions for teachers and the opening up of the 'schools market' in a bid to further reduce public expenditure on education. The state as regulator not provider, which is the way we are heading - a tight regulatory grip characterised by a prescriptive curriculum and punitive inspection regime, to ensure 'standards' are maintained; and a free-for-all in a market with few rights for employees (teachers) and children used as pawns.

*Robin Alexander, "Neither National nor a Curriculum"
mm23292
Posts: 446
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:57 am

Re: Should School Holidays be Cut and School Day Made Longer

Post by mm23292 »

Aside from winter months and 'travel in the dark' type issues for some..I think it also depends on the child. My eldest starts at 8.30 and finishes at 4, which is a reasonable length of day. However, when it comes to homework, she is not easily motivated at home and there are too many distractions. And unless homework club was mandatory, she wouldn't do it in a million years! So an hour longer wouldn't be a bad thing for her, as she is quite mature for her age and would probably cope with the longer day. I do find, and I'm sure she and her friends do too, that the holidays can be a little too long. Summer particularly. Unless you have many homes abroad to visit, it does start to drag a little towards the end. And the first half term back is 2 weeks, which seems the norm for independents, which I can never understand. Perhaps someone here knows why?!
scarlett
Posts: 3664
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:22 am

Re: Should School Holidays be Cut and School Day Made Longer

Post by scarlett »

I suggest anyone who has a ratty and tired child in the lead up to weekends / holidays arrange for said child to stay with Mr Gove. I might also send my big suitcase of workbooks for that extra boost ...Mr Gove won't mind I'm sure. :D
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Should School Holidays be Cut and School Day Made Longer

Post by mystery »

The holidays could be better spread but don't want more total hours. Maybe it could be optional for those who need it or want it, and the extra hours could create more teaching jobs rather than longer hours for current teachers.
KS10
Posts: 2516
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Re: Should School Holidays be Cut and School Day Made Longer

Post by KS10 »

Ugh!
Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now